Francis Ford Coppola Wins Prestigious IWSC Wine Trophy

Not content just making some of the best films in history, Award-winning film directorFrancis Ford Coppola has won the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) Trophy for his wine.

 It is not only the Hollywood A-lists in front of the screen such as Brangelina that are producing quality wine. Renowned American film director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola best known for films including The Godfather Trilogy and Apocalypse Now, has produced a star IWSC Trophy winning wine from California, Sonoma County.

Francis Ford Coppolawine

The Mission Hill Winery Trophy for Chardonnay was awarded to producer Francis Ford Coppola Presents for its wine Director’s Cut Chardonnay 2012. Judges said that the wine had ‘subtle creamy aromas with touches of white peach and walnut with a lingering mineral back note.’

The IWSC now in its 45th year promotes the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. It has been quoted as the ‘Oscars’ of the drinks trade and all wines entered from around the world, endure a rigorous blind tasting and are judged by some of the world’s leading drinks experts. Medals featured on winning bottles assure consumers that they are purchasing a quality product

 

 

 

 

Achieve Oscar-Winning Skin

While red carpet glitz and glamour is achieved by fabulous stylists and make-up artists, fresh, glowing skin is definitely the best accessory- and you don’t need a celebrity budget to look good.

Follow Facial Therapist and Skincare Expert Amanda Elias’ inexpensive solutions to Oscar-Winning Skin:

EXFOLIATING

WHY? Exfoliating removes the dead skin layer which sits on the surface of our healthy, new skin. When there is an accumulation of dead skin, it leaves the complexion looking lifeless and grey because light isn’t reflected evenly. By removing this dead skin the light will reflect evenly and directly off your healthy skin.

oscarwinningskin

HOW? You can achieve beautiful skin with scrubs but my personal recommendation would always be chemical exfoliation. Using a product daily that contains AHA’s (like Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid) or a BHA (like Salicylic Acid) will gently exfoliate by loosening the bond that holds the dead skin to the surface, rather than scrubbing it which can cause irritation and inflammation in sensitive or problem skin. Don’t let the word acid scare you; daily use products typically contain a concentration of 10% AHA and lower so although powerful, they won’t burn the skin.

SUFFERING WITH ACNE OR BLACKHEADS? Exfoliation is the key treatment. These conditions occur when dead skin and oil gets trapped within the pores and bacteria breeds. By removing the dead skin you’re helping to prevent these blockages which in turn will reduce the breakouts. Using chemical exfoliants rather than a manual scrub will also help to fade any discolouration left over from spots.

FIGHTING THE SIGNS OF AGEING? Glycolic and lactic acid helps by increasing cell turnover, this in turn stimulates the production of collagen which is the support matrix of the skin. Collagen starts to break down as we get older which is why we want to stimulate the body to produce more; lots of collagen means plumper skin and less wrinkles.

UNEVEN SKIN ON THE BODY? If you have rough skin with red dots on your arms, thighs or bottom this could be a condition called Keratosis Pilaris. This is caused by too much keratin, found in the top layer of the skin, blocks the pores. There is no cure but exfoliating, especially with AHA’s and BHA’s, can make a dramatic difference to the appearance and texture of the skin.

So you’re well exfoliated, now there’s cleansing and moisturising.

CLEANSING is essential to keep the skin healthy and you looking your best. The majority don’t cleanse enough; twice in the evening (note evening not night) and once in the morning. If you find cleansing often strips your skin, change your cleanser. Use a cleanser designed for your skin type and steer clear of soap. With its high PH, soap can cause dryness as well as help bacteria to breed in problem skin.

MOISTURISING is vital, particularly with product that contains an SPF. In the winter UVA is still present in the atmosphere; while UVA doesn’t burn us (it’s the UVB rays from the sun that cause burning) it can still cause premature ageing and is the number one cause of ageing to our skin. No matter what anti-ageing products you use, if you don’t use an SPF daily- even when it’s grey and miserable- you’re not fighting ageing.

When choosing a moisturiser make sure you choose one for your skin type to keep your skin moisturised and therefore youthful.

If you have oily skin but you use an anti-wrinkle cream designed for mature skin, it’s likely to cause breakouts and can leave the skin looking puffy. If you don’t like moisturising because it leave a sheen on the skin, look for a moisturiser that has a matte finish.

GLOW Leonardo Dicaprio dazzled on the red carpet showing off an enviable tan recently. To get a healthy, natural looking glow I would recommend a spray tan for both men and women. If you’d rather give it a go yourself, try a tan like Cocoa Brown which gives a gentle tan in only an hour. If you have facial hair, be careful to gently rub as close to the hair as possible or you’ll have a tan line around the hair.

Highly experienced within the industry, Amanda Elias is the brains behind effective yet affordable skincare brand, Bravura London  a business founded following Amanda’s own skin problems and subsequent discovery of using AHA, BHA and Hydraulic Acid for troubled skins.

 

Charlie Sheen's Winning Week

Charlie Sheen’s Winning Week: After Winning a New Sitcom, Sheen Steps in to Help Children’s Charity

Charlie Sheen is having a good week. With a new show, a Comedy Central roast and becoming an overnight hero to 1000’s of families of sick babies born with a mysterious birth defect, it seems Charlie Sheen’s star is back on the rise.

On Tuesday, the LA Times announced Charlie Sheen has landed the lead role of the new television series, “Anger Management” based on the movie starring Adam Sandler. “I chose ‘Anger Management’ because, while it might be a big stretch for me to play a guy with serious anger management issues, I think it is a great concept,” Sheen said.

That’s not all Charlie Sheen has been up to.

Last Wednesday, Dawn Williamson, founder of CHERUBS, challenged Mr. Sheen via Twitter to get his millions of fans to throw her charity 25,000 votes in a Facebook contest. Her efforts paid off and Mr. Sheen accepted the challenge. Tweeting and re-tweeting for the charity this week, Mr. Sheen has made it a personal quest to help CHERUBS; “I’m down with Dawn!! @ncdawn RT @cherubs Help critically ill babies with CDH. Take Charlie’s challenge to vote! www.voteforcdh.org”

Currently at 3rd place, CHERUBS is a regional finalist in the 2011 Vivint Gives Back Project. CHERUBS and 1000’s of families of children born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) are counting on a miracle from the former “Two and a Half Men” star. “CDH families in 38 countries are cheering him on and so very grateful for his support and the awareness he is raising for our cause,” says Williamson.

A child is born is born with CDH every 10 minutes. With a 50% mortality rate, this means 3 babies die from CDH every hour. Winning the contest will help fund research to find the cause of CDH. “50% of money won will go towards genetic research of CDH through Mass General’s CDH Research Study. The other 50% will go towards family support services and awareness,” says Williamson. Information about the contest and where funds will go can be found at www.voteforcherubs.org

Charlie Sheen set for Anger Management

At last, Charlie Sheen is getting Anger Management….

Charlie Sheen is to star in a new comedy series.

The 45-year-old actor – who was axed from hit show ‘Two and a Half Men’ earlier this year due to his erratic behaviour and turbulent personal life – is in talks to appear in a new show based on the 2003 movie ‘Anger Management’.

Producer Joe Roth wants Charlie to portray an athlete-turned counsellor – originally played by Jack Nicholson in the movie – who enrages his patients more than calming them down and has his own problems with rage, the Hollywood Reporter states.

Though the planned programme has not yet received a finance or distribution deal, the hope is for a pilot episode to be ready for autumn 2012.

Charlie’s spokesperson said: “Receiving several opportunities but can’t comment on anything at this time.”

Joe has previously worked with the actor on five movie projects, including ‘Major League’ and ‘Young Guns’.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Charlie is to be the subject of a ‘Comedy Central Roast’

The troubled star is to be subjected to an evening of comic heckling on the one-off show, which will air on September 19 – the same night as Ashton Kutcher makes his debut on ‘Two and a Half Men’.

Kent Alterman, Comedy Central’s head of programming, said: “Charlie has assured us that nothing will be off limits in this Roast, which scares even us.”

However, Charlie is well aware of the plethora of material his turbulent personal life will provide for those taking part in the episode.

He added: “You could say I’ve been providing kindling for this ‘Roast’ for a while. It’s time to light it up. It’s going to be epic.”